Local Orthopedic Surgeon Retires, Army Veteran Chosen As Successor

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Feb. 10, 2015 - PRLog -- After 37 years practicing orthopedic medicine in Jacksonville and Orange Park, Dr. Carlos Esquivia announced his retirement from the field. Dr. Esquivia has handpicked Dr. Steven Lalliss, a 26-year U.S. Army veteran and Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, of Northeast Florida Orthopedics, to continue treatment of his beloved patients.

Dr. Lalliss, an expert in joint preservation and cartilage restoration surgery, is excited about the acquisition. Dr. Lalliss has known Dr. Equivia since he arrived in Jacksonville, and they have collaborated on several cases together. “We have the same philosophy. We both strongly believe that surgery is not the first option for our patients, but rather non-operative/non-surgical treatments should be attempted prior to any surgical procedure," says Dr. Lalliss.

Experts predict that there will be approximately 3.5 million total knee replacements per year by 2030. However, joint preservation and cartilage restoration could help to bring that number down considerably. Rather than replace the entire knee joint and the kneecap, a joint preservation procedure replaces just the portion that is damaged, which is far less painful and less expensive. Cartilage restoration takes it one step further and reconstructs a patient’s cartilage with human tissue.

“As a population, we are going to see this rise in orthopedic care because we are living longer and putting more stress on our joints with exercise,”adds Dr. Lalliss. “It is imperative that patients become informed and discuss options with their surgeons. Avoiding full joint replacement, if possible, is a good thing because the synthetic materials used in these procedures will fail eventually due to loosening and failure of the components.”

To learn more about joint preservation or to schedule a consult, visit www.neflortho.com or call 904-635-1901.

In February, Northeast Florida Orthopedics will partner with Jacksonville Chiropractic and Acupuncture to bring joint preservation to Jacksonville's Southside with a new location at 7860 Gate Pkwy., Suite #106 in addition to the office located at 7855 Argyle Forest Boulevard, Suite #502 in Jacksonville.

About Dr. Lalliss

Dr. Lalliss, a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, received training in orthopedics at the renowned Brooke Army Medical Center, treating many of our veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He received further training in trauma research at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research. In addition, he completed a sports medicine fellowship at Keller Army Hospital at the United States Military Academy at West Point and received further training at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. There, he gained expertise in specialized treatment of sports injuries, joint preservation and cartilage restoration. Dr. Lalliss retired from the U.S. Army after 26 years and came to Jacksonville to treat patients with highly advanced skills in these areas.